PART 1: The ultimate guide to Manila’s 3 integrated resorts: Solaire, City of Dreams, Resorts World
MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila these past few years has entered the age of the integrated resort. These are all-in-one complexes offering hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment, plus — lest we forget — ample opportunities for gaming.
With Resorts World (opened in 2009), Solaire (opened 2013) and City of Dreams (opened 2014) all up and running, it becomes a challenge for guests and foreign visitors to decide which resort they want to explore. Each has its unique strengths.
Here, we offer a feature-by-feature comparison of these three resorts, spelling out the pluses and minuses of each, to help you decide which is right for you.
For the first part of this three-part series, we’ll look into the room stay and gym and pool facilities.
Room stay
At Solaire, we stayed in a Prestige Suite on the 16th floor of the Sky Tower with a striking view of Manila Bay and the surrounding Bay area. It’s particularly pretty at sunset.
Welcome gifts were a large bowl of colorful fruit, an array of fine chocolates, bottles of imported still and sparkling water with lemon slices on the side, and other treats like dried mango in a small basket.
At 124 square meters of floor space, this is one of the largest suites we’ve ever stayed in, with bright and airy living/dining/sleeping areas comparable to a one-bedroom apartment. You get a king-sized bed, two 55-inch flat-screen TVs (one in the anteroom, one in the bedroom), a lighted vanity table, a walk-in closet with two kinds of robes (yukata for Asian guests and the softest terrycloth robes we’ve ever worn from Boca Terry), high-quality slippers, and a beautifully appointed minibar with Nespresso machine and complimentary tea and coffee.
At 124 sqm of floor space, and with a picture window offering a view of Manila Bay, the Prestige Suite’s bright and airy living/dining/sleeping areas are comparable to a one-bedroom apartment.
Our Prestige Suite didn’t exactly face Manila Bay, but offered a pretty sunset view from the 16th floor.
The suite itself has high ceilings, plush chairs and stools upholstered in faux leather and velvet, and a marble bathroom with L’Occitane toiletries, two separate sinks, a bathtub, rain shower, and separate toilet. We both had a really great sleep on the high-thread-count sheets.
Until September 30, Solaire is offering a discounted Rainy Day Rendezvous hotel package. Other offers include Weekday Escape, Advance Purchase, and Indulge Bed and Breakfast, which last until December 29. For details, visit https://solaireresort.com/rooms-suites.
The anteroom of Solaire’s Prestige Suite features a 55-inch flat-screen TV, minibar with Nespresso machine and complimentary tea and coffee.
Welcome gifts included a large bowl of fruit, an array of fine chocolates, bottles of imported still and sparkling water with lemon slices on the side, and other treats like dried mango in a small basket.
The master bathroom features marble interiors, L’Occitane toiletries, two separate sinks, a bathtub, rain shower and separate toilet. A walk-in closet offers two kinds of robes (yukata for Asian guests and the softest terrycloth robes we’ve ever worn from Boca Terry), and high-quality slippers.
At City of Dreams’ Crown Towers, we stayed in a Resort Suite on a midlevel floor, featuring a more subdued ambience and not much of a view — the side of a building with a rock garden and part of CoD’s signature “egg” visible on top.
The welcome gift was a bowl of fruit.
The king-sized bed at Crown Towers’ 74-sqm. Resort Suite
The Resort Suite offers two 55-inch flat-screen TVs, plush chairs and sofas, a king-sized bed, minibar with Nespresso machine, and a small fridge full of liquor minis (of vodka, gin, whisky, Veuve Cliquot Brut Champagne and Argentinean chardonnay).
The floor space was 74 square meters with lower ceilings, and this plus a color palette of neutral earth tones gave the suite a smaller, darker feel. Furnishings were similar to Solaire’s: two 55-inch flat-screen TVs, plush chairs and sofas, a king-sized bed, minibar with Nespresso machine, and a small fridge full of liquor minis (of vodka, gin, whisky, Veuve Cliquot Brut Champagne, and Argentinean chardonnay).
The wood and marble bathroom boasted an inviting tub with toiletries from Antica Farmacista — a bath and home-fragrance brand from Seattle — standard terrycloth robes, two separate sinks and a smaller rain-shower enclosure. There was an iPhone dock near the bed but it didn’t work.
Crown Towers’ Resort Suite offers toiletries from Antica Farmacista (a bath and home-fragrance brand from Seattle) standard terrycloth robes, two separate sinks and a smaller rain-shower enclosure.
The wood and marble bathroom boasts an inviting tub with inlay tiles features on the wall.
At Resorts World we stayed at the Marriott Hotel’s Executive Suite on the seventh floor, with a commanding view of Villamor’s lush, green golf course and scenic Makati skyline.
Welcome gifts were all mango-based: fresh mangoes, dried mangoes, a mason jar of mango juice and a large bar of mango chocolate.
At Resorts World, Marriott Hotel’s Executive Suite anteroom offers ample space, a workstation, and a variety of mango treats (but no Nespresso machine).
Marriott Hotel’s Executive Suite on the seventh floor (72 sqm) offers a commanding view of Villamor’s lush golf course and scenic Makati skyline in the distance.
Floor space was similar to Crown Towers’ at 72 square meters, but seemed bigger thanks to a more vibrant design motif and the amount of light let in by the picture windows. All the standard suite features are present: king-size bed, two 55-inch LED smart TVs, plush sofas and divans, and a working iPod dock. With a suite stay Marriott also offers access to its Executive Lounge with complimentary cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, business services, and free ironing of two garments per stay.
Of note, however, is that Wi-Fi is only free to Marriott Rewards members (membership is free, but you have to sign up downstairs); otherwise you have to pay P792 per day.
The marble bathroom features a toilet with bidet spray, bathtub with jets, rain shower and Thann natural aromatherapy products from Thailand. While the bathing area is visible from the main bedroom through a glass wall, a screen may be lowered electronically for those who want privacy. There’s also a lack of clothes hooks in the main bathroom; upon closer inspection we found them located in the bath and toilet stalls. The robes, slippers and minibar are all standard. The minibar only had a hot-water kettle (no Nespresso this time).
The marble bathroom features a toilet with bidet spray, bathtub with jets, rain shower and Thann natural aromatherapy products from Thailand.
The bathroom of Marriott Hotel’s Executive Suite
Verdict: In terms of room stay, Solaire Resort & Casino offers the most value for money with its Prestige Suite, which is almost double the size of its competitors’ and offers the most numerous and thoughtful luxury touches.
Gym facilities/pool
All three resorts offer similar gym facilities with an assortment of machines and weights for guests — resistance machines, free weights, treadmills, bench press, etc.
Solaire’s gym facilities offer a separate Training Zone room with punching bags, free weights and resistance machines (in addition to its regular gym room with weights, bench presses, treadmill and biking machines). Solaire Resort and Casino
Crown Towers’ gym facility offers Precor machines, free weights and benches.
The resort pools are all shallow (3 to 4 feet) and differ in size. Solaire’s dumbbell-shaped pool connects two large pools via a central waterway and is good for laps; Crown Towers’ pool is exclusive, not available to other City of Dreams guests, with a curvy bend and fountains; Marriott’s pool is a straight run (shorter than Solaire’s) with non-heated Jacuzzi tubs with jets on either side.
Solaire’s dumbbell-shaped swimming pool connects two large pools via a central waterway and is good for laps.
You can relax in the Jacuzzi for free at Solaire’s Wellness Spa.
Crown Towers’ swimming pool is exclusive to Crown guests, and features fountains and golden tiles set into the pool floor to pick up and reflect sunlight.
Watch out for part 2 of this three-part series where we’ll look into the restaurants and in-room dining experience at Solaire, City of Dreams and Resorts World.
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